Google Pixel 3 Lite camera samples leak hints at flagship credentials

The rumored Google Pixel 3 Lite is tipped to be a less powerful variant of its flagship siblings, but leaks suggest it will still pack the same excellent 12MP rear camera, and camera samples claiming to be taken with the yet-to-be-announced handset appear to support those claims.

The photos were posted by Russian site Rozetked, the same site behind the Pixel 3 Lite leak just a few days earlier, where it's claimed the handset has the same 12MP camera which seriously impressed us in our Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL reviews.

If this cheaper version of the handset does inherit the same photography smarts as its more expensive siblings it would be something of a coup for consumers - however it does make us wonder if there will be drastic compromises in other areas.

The rumor also suggests the Pixel 3 Lite will come with just a single 8MP selfie camera, while the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have dual front-facing snappers.

Same camera, different photos

The earlier Google Pixel 3 Lite leak from the Russian site claimed the handset would come with a Snapdragon 670 chipset, rather than the flagship 845 found in the other two devices.

It may be the case that the Pixel 3 Lite has the same camera hardware as its siblings, but with a mid-range chipset, and thus a mid-range ISP (image signal processor), the software capabilities of the camera on the Pixel 3 Lite are likely to be reduced.

Part of the reason the Pixel 3 and 3 XL cameras are so good is down to the clever software algorithms Google has used to smartly enhance snaps and provide modes such as portrait and night sight.

A lot of these capabilities lean on the Snapdragon chipset inside the phones - with the ISP a core component for photography. With a less powerful chipset inside the rumored Pixel 3 Lite, the camera experience is likely to not hit the same impressive heights.

This should all be taken with a pinch of salt, however, as there's been no confirmation - or even an inkling - from Google that a Pixel 3 Lite may be in the works.